Unbeaten West Sioux is one win away from a second consecutive trip to the UNI-Dome, but a balanced Council Bluffs St. Albert team stands between the Falcons and a return to Cedar Falls.
Second-ranked West Sioux hosts St. Albert in a Class A football quarterfinal Friday at 7 p.m. at Eneboe Field. West Sioux enters 10–0, while St. Albert is 9–1 after upsetting No. 9 Riverside 19–16 last week.
The game will air on 93.9 KSOU-FM, with audio streaming online and in the Sioux County Radio app courtesy of Sioux Center Health.
West Sioux Looks to Keep its Offense Rolling
West Sioux advanced with a 42–18 victory over West Monona last week, responding after a lengthy lightning delay. Head coach Ryan Schwiesow said his team returned focused for the second half after mistakes helped West Monona gain momentum before the break.
Now, Schwiesow wants a patient approach against St. Albert’s defense, with an emphasis on winning up front and protecting the football.
“We’ve got to take care of the football,” Schwiesow said. “And offensively, we just got to be methodical and move the ball down the field.”
Senior Braylon Lopez gives West Sioux a dangerous option both on the ground and through the air. He has rushed for 1,703 yards and 27 touchdowns, averaging 11.1 yards per carry. He also has 25 receptions for 548 yards and nine touchdowns.
Junior quarterback Liam Sheehan has completed 64.1% of his passes for 1,825 yards, 22 touchdowns, and six interceptions. He has added 267 rushing yards and eight scores.
Nolan Demke leads West Sioux with 37 catches for 731 yards and six touchdowns. Schwiesow also hopes to have Kendrin Van Beek back after he resumed some practice work, while continuing to involve Gavin Gerritson and Eli Mora in the passing game.
West Sioux has averaged 49.3 points through its first 10 games, scoring at least 38 in every contest.
St. Albert Brings Multiple Offensive Threats
St. Albert, coached by Donnie Woods, counters with sophomore quarterback Bryce Nelson, who has thrown for 2,031 yards and 23 touchdowns while completing 63.6% of his passes.
Schwiesow praised Nelson’s accuracy, quick release, and composure, along with a receiving group featuring junior Cooper Hamilton.
Hamilton has 31 catches for 617 yards and eight touchdowns. Senior Ben Krohn has added 39 receptions for 520 yards and five scores, while senior Adrian Jessen has 35 catches for 493 yards and six touchdowns.
The passing game is complemented by freshman running back Wade Beck, who enters just five yards shy of 1,000 rushing yards. Beck has scored 11 rushing touchdowns and averages 5.6 yards per carry.
Schwiesow said St. Albert’s ability to spread defenses out and then run the ball makes discipline especially important.
“But when you have a team that can run it like that and throw it like that, just everybody’s got to make sure they do their job,” Schwiesow said.
West Sioux has allowed just 6.1 points per game and recorded five shutouts. Gerritson leads the team with 48 tackles, while Josh Kennedy has 11 tackles for loss. Demke has intercepted seven passes, helping West Sioux collect 23 takeaways.
St. Albert’s defense is led by sophomore Thomas Coughlin’s 72.5 tackles. The team has intercepted 14 passes, returning three for touchdowns.
Special Teams Could Swing the Quarterfinal
Schwiesow said West Sioux devoted extra attention to kickoff coverage after allowing a touchdown return and another long return against West Monona.
West Sioux has produced its own big plays in the return game. Demke has two punt-return touchdowns, while Braylon Lopez has returned a kickoff 85 yards for a score.
Sophomore kicker Hugo Hernandez has made four of five field-goal attempts and 59 of 64 extra points.
St. Albert also has a significant kicking threat in Hamilton. In addition to his receiving production, he has made five field goals, including a 47-yarder, and averages 39.5 yards per punt.
A Rematch Nearly a Decade Later
Friday’s game comes 10 years and two days after the teams’ last meeting, a 21–14 St. Albert victory on November 4, 2016. Hunter Dekkers was West Sioux’s freshman quarterback that season.
St. Albert leads the supplied series history 2–0 since 2009, also winning 52–13 that year.
This time, West Sioux is looking to extend an unbeaten season that included a 6–0 district championship and playoff victories over Logan-Magnolia and West Monona. St. Albert finished 5–1 in its district, with its lone loss coming against Woodbury Central, before beating Gehlen Catholic and Riverside in the postseason.
Schwiesow said the opportunity to keep playing in November is something his team understands.
“And I tell our kids that every year I say, you know, a goal of every football team is to still be playing football, high school football in November,” he said. “That means you’re deep into the playoffs and maybe into the dome. And like I told the kids and you know, at practice on Tuesday, let’s not look past this one. But (if) we get past this one, it’s always 70 and sunny in the dome.”
Friday’s winner advances to the Class A semifinals at the UNI-Dome.
